Mikhail Fiodorovich Lal'ionov (1881-1964), a painter, graphic artist and theatrical dEsignEr, was one of the foundErs of the Russian AvanT-garde. Greatilng a fundamentally new visual idiom that rejected the iladitional art of the nineteenth century, Larionov drew his inspiration from primitivc and naive art, the popular lubok print and the Russian shop-sign with its distinetive stvlistic Conventions. A pupil of Seroy and Levitan, Larionoy posscssed a rarc gift as a colorisl and a livclv imagination. Aftcr an initial pcriod whcn hc was fascinatcd by Impressionism, he began to work in a deliberately naiVC, grotesque style with superficially crude subjectmatter.

Larionoy crcatcd his own vision of non-figurative art ill Rayonism, a style with its own distinetive radiance and color dvnamics. For all his broad crcativc CXperimentation, thc artist ahvavs retained a remarkable individuality.

This book is dcvolcd to one of thefounders of the Russian Avant-Garde-- Mikhail Larionov. IIis Impressionist period, which occured during his years of study at the Moscow College of Painting, Art and Architecture, revealed the influence of Claudc Monct and Victor Borisov-Hlusatov. His Primitivist period immediately following was marked by a thscination with folk art, the painted shop-sign and the lubok print.

A pioneering spirit and natural Icader, Larionov was one of the organizers of the Donkcv"s Tail and Targct exhibitions, the impCtus behind an original Russian cultural phenomcnon -- the artistic debate. It is to Larionov and artists of his circle that wc owe the discovery of the Georgian naive artist, Xiko Pirosmani.

The theory of Rayonism, which Larionov devised, represems one of the first attempts at creating non-figurative art.

Yevgeny Fiodorovich Kovtun was a prominent researcher in Russian early-twen-tieth-century art, the author of several books and some one lmndred articlcs on avant-garde artists such as Filonov, Malcvich, Larionov, Kulbin, Guro, Ycrmolaycva, Sterligov, and on the Russian Futurists" contribution to the art of thc book.

Ycvgeny Kovhm was involvcd ill the organ ization of e:dlil)itions: Book Covers by Early-Twcnticth-Centurv Russian Artists(1977), Moscow-Paris (1979), Mikhaill,arionov (1980), Kasimir Malcvich(1980, I)iisscldort), Art and the Revo lution (1980, 1988, Japan), Kasimir Malcvich (1989, Britain), Pavcl Filonov and Ilis School (1990, Diisscldorf), Mikhail Matiushin and thc Lcningrad Avanl-Gardc (1991, Karlsruhc), Vladimir Tatlin: A Rctrospcctivc (1992, France, Gcrmally, Spaill), The Great Utopia and the Sovict AvanT-Garde: 1915-1932 (1992-93, Gcrmany, Xethcrlands, New York), Thc Russian Avant-Garde and Its Russian Sourccs(1993. Baden-Baden).

FOREWORD

THE IMPRESSIONIST YEARS

THE BEGINNINGS OF PRIMITIVISM, THE PAINTED SHOP.SIGN

THE DONKEY"S TAIL

THE EAST AND NATIONALITY

THE LUBOK EXHIBITIONS

ARTISTIC DEBATES

THE TARGET EXHIBITION

THE DISCOVERY OF PIROSMANI

THE BOOK EXPERIMENT

RAYONISM

THE RUSSIAN MUSEUM AND LARIONOV

CONCLUSION, AFTER 1914

CHRONICLE OF THE ARTIST"S LIFE AND WORK

EVENTS SINCE 1964

BIBLIOGRAPHY